Friday, October 31, 2008

I am the proud author of blog #993 on the World Famous Creative Strategy Blogmonster. Jeff, Melissa, Scott, Kyle and I started this baby Spring Semester 2007 and many of you were involved in breathing life into it, creating a heart beat and making it something that just continues to go and grow.

Even over the summer our blog kept on ticking. Graduates from Creative Strategy II (and FSU) shared their stories on getting a job, the jobs they got and a glimpse from their points of view of the "real world" and the color of life after garnet and gold.

Our blog, with your creativity has become our text book. We are all teaching and learning at the same time.

Keep your ideas flowing. Keep all of our minds growing. Please contribute more comments. Interesting dialogues and new ideas could evolve and if nothing else, you are recognizing others contributions to our magnificent digital quilt.

Don't forget our focus on creativity. Be creative. Celebrate creativity. Share the stories of how you are becoming more creative ... the successes and well as the road blocks. Tell us about people, processes and resources that will teach and inspire us on our individual journeys, whatever they may be and wherever they may lead.

Keep blogging! Let's take this baby into adolescence, but never beyond kindergarten.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Hey guys!! I already sent out an e-mail, but I am also going to blog a little bit about my comedy troupe. Basically, if you want creative people, you want my troupe. I honestly think that out of the other comedy troupes I've seen, 30 in 60 has some of the best comedic and creative performers and ideas. Basically we're awesome. Just a little background about us: we perform 30 pre-made, though not written or memorized by any means, in an hour. The audience gets a menu with the number and title of each skit and they get to choose which skit we do when. So audience participation is vital! Every individual person contributes in their own way to the overall performance. Each person brings their own concept of comedy and acting style that we can appease any audience. For those who love crazy funny we have Tim. If you appreciate sarcasm we have Derek, and if you like straight up goofy you've got me! Those are just three out of the fifteen and, when I say they are all equally creative, I mean it. Everyone has to work as a group to come up with ideas for skits. We have to break off into smaller groups and try and create concepts that are plausible for our themes, etc. Everyone has an overall say in whether a skit makes it or breaks it, usually determined by a vote. This way, only the skits that everyone loves make it into the show. This particular show was about commercials, and it was, for me, one of the most fun to make. I enjoyed thinking of ads that were 1) easily recognizable, even for people who don't watch a lot of television and 2) easy to make fun of. You can probably think of some right now that aren't really intended to be funny but clearly fit the mold. This is our second show of the semester and I'm stoked. We're an intimate group and we love audience interaction. Come check us out this Friday in rm 201 of Dodd at 7 p.m. Here is a link to some of our other videos from last year: http://www.youtube.com/30in60

“Que sera, sera” is not a motto I live by. I like security. I like knowing what I’m doing. “Whatever will be, will be”…because I’ve been planning for three months, is more like it. However, this is much harder to live by, and not as catchy.

If you know me, you know that I am constantly freaking out. What am I going to do when I graduate? What should I be doing now? What should I have done four months ago and why didn’t I do it? Why didn’t my parents make me learn another three languages just so I could put quad-lingual on my resume? Can I learn three other languages in four months?

Yes, these are the thoughts that go on in my head. I know that I have 6 months before graduation. I know that I am fairly intelligent and am somewhat prepared to join the real world. Somehow this just isn’t comforting me.

While perusing random sites on Google, I ran across this advice from a book by Dan Pink, The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need.

1. Don't be rigid about planning out each step well in advance . . . it's not possible to do.

2. Build on what you're good at and avoid relying on what you aren't good at.

3. Focus on what you can do for others rather than what's in it for you.

4. Keep at it. Practice makes perfect.

5. Take on big challenges and learn from them. 6. Make a difference.

I feel like I’ve heard plenty of cliché advice from everyone and everywhere. Maybe it’s just timing but #1 really stood out to me. As someone who has every step calculated, it sucks, because like dominos, one thing doesn’t go right, and everything you just planned is bust. (I like checkers better anyways.) Mr. Pink suggests doing something “because you think it is inherently valuable (regardless of what it may lead to.)” Not exactly mind-blowing, but you know what, a lot more helpful than “I think, therefore I am.” (Thanks for nothing Descartes.) Planning and preparation are two very different things. I’ve realized that I shouldn’t be planning; I still am not even sure what I really want to do. (The irony here though is that I’ve thought of becoming an event’s planner.)

Most people don’t have the luxury to wander about, doing what interests them or what they love. But I think that most people don’t try hard enough either. So, my new motto for life, courtesy of Thoreau, “Live the life you imagined.”

The event featured all the makings of an occasion of this sort, local and state politicians, local businessmen and women, school board members, a stage of choral singers from a local high-school. Three cranes sat behind the stage waiting for their big debut while the incoming chair from the Tallahassee Chamber, the president of Tallahassee Community College, and the Mayor of Tallahassee all gave speeches on why The Florida Center will be an important part of the community with a focus on education, economic development and entertainment. All of the speakers were eloquent but when you're committing to an undertaking that involves many years and hundreds of millions of dollars it's important to be convincing too.

Then a girl named Keaton, a high school student who wouldn't have cleared the "are you tall enough to ride" qualifications at Space Mountain approached the podium. As she adjusted the mic downward she spoke to everyone about what the arts meant to her, about how it shaped her and helped her learn. She spoke about her hopes that one day Tallahassee would have a performing arts center and what it would mean for kids like her if it did. Eloquent and convincing.

The Performing Arts Center has its opponents, some people believe the city shouldn't use tax money or that The Center isn't a priority but at that moment, when Keaton spoke The Florida Center had no opponents. If a vote was held at that moment it would have been unanimous. Bob Fosse could have been there as spokesman and Keaton would have still been more impactful.

How can a high-school girl be more effective than a mayor or college president? Because she shared with us very clear, specific ideas and stories on how the arts had effected her life. When the politician and college president spoke they presented us with lofty ideas but nothing we could hold in our hand and feel, nothing we could picture and see. They spoke about how The Florida Center would effect children by saying just that. Keaton spoke about how it'd effect children by BEING that.

When we create marketing campaigns with clever slogans and pr plans with strategic angles and even mission statements that hope to capture an organizations purpose it's easy to try to go to big. We clutter the scene with abstract language, generic and over used metaphors and fancy graphic design. We try to do too much when often all it takes is a kid walking on a stage telling the world what theater means to her.

This story was recently reported in the news. Watch your back, you never know who's out to get you in the virtual world. By the way, this is not an acceptable excuse for missing class.

TOKYO — A 43-year-old Japanese woman whose sudden divorce in a virtual game world made her so angry that she killed her online husband's digital persona has been arrested on suspicion of hacking, police said Thursday.

The woman, who is jailed on suspicion of illegally accessing a computer and manipulating electronic data, used his identification and password to log onto popular interactive game "Maple Story" to carry out the virtual murder in mid-May, a police official in northern Sapporo said on condition of anonymity, citing department policy. "I was suddenly divorced, without a word of warning. That made me so angry." the official quoted her as telling investigators and admitting the allegations. The woman had not plotted any revenge in the real world, the official said. She has not yet been formally charged, but if convicted could face a prison term of up to five years or a fine up to $5,000. Players in "Maple Story" raise and manipulate digital images called "avatars" that represent themselves, while engaging in relationships, social activities and fighting against monsters and other obstacles. The woman used login information she got from the 33-year-old office worker when their characters were happily married, and killed the character. The man complained to police when he discovered that his beloved online avatar was dead. The woman was arrested Wednesday and was taken across the country, traveling 620 miles from her home in southern Miyazaki to be detained in Sapporo, where the man lives, the official said. The police official said he did not know if she was married in the real world.

For those of you who remember the "whassup" ads for Bud, you'll be interested to know that those crazy guys are back. They own the rights to the "whassup" concept. Bud only had it licensed for 5 years. So, they've used the concept to promote something completely different ... a presidential candidate! I'd say that's pretty creative!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

If I could be anywhere it would most definitely be Martha Stewart! Look at all of the yummy things she can make (minus the fact that she went to jail). I've attempted to make cupcakes like this, its NOT POSSIBLE! Don't even try. I know she really doesn't make these treats by herself but she makes it look so easy. If anyone has connections to her I would appreciate even a signature!

So about a month ago a couple of friends of mine were talking about this show on Showtime called Dexter and how amazing it was. I had heard of it, but didn't really know what it was about. So I decided to find out for myself and began by watching the second season (which is saved on Comcast's On Demand. After a couple of episodes I was hooked! The show is kinda creepy/ demented because it deals with a forensics cop who is really a serial killer, but oddly enough in a good way. Almost every episode Dexter works on a new murder case and then tracks down the killer, so that he can kill them. It's twisted but very entertaining. The episodes are also 1 hour long each, so its worth watching! Below is a clip of the season 3 preview.

In the spirit of Halloween cause I just love Halloween and dressing up my friends had a pumpkin carving party! I thought it was a great idea to be in the spirit and do something creative. Everyone had a great time. I think we should have had a class that was entirely pumpkin carving. Its an awesome way to really be creative. Ps: Next week I fully intend on publishing pictures of halloween pictures of costumes! Can't wait!

On Saturday I participated in a fun bicycle race called "Talloween 4" Basically it was a checkpoint style race that could be completed in any order and they were all Halloween themed. Some of the points were a haunted house, bobbing for apples, scarecrows, witches, and zombies incuded! There were 77 people that did the race and it was amazing to see how many bicyclists there are in Tallahassee. We even had some people who came from Jacksonville and Panama City to do the race! I rode in a group of 3 people and while we didnt really ride our hardest, we hit every checkpoint, collected our candy, and came in 41st lace out of the 77! It was a complete blast to ride all over town to places such as klemans plaza all the way to Lke Ella to collect our pieces of candy. This was my first race and definately wont be my last. Anyone could have had a great time riding around town all dressed up in costumes. If you are looking for an opportunity to ride your bike this friday is Critical Mass. Basically its a huge bike ride around town that promotes bicycle awareness and safety. It starts at 5pm on Friday at Klemans plaza and will last a couple hours. I know its halloween but get dressed up and come ride with us! If you saw a bunch of crazy people on Bicycles on game day, now you know what was going on. We finished up our last couple of checkpoints as the game was getting out so traffic and crowds were pretty crazy but we finished up on landis green at the fountain in style! If you need any information about rides or anything else feel free to get a hold of me! If you look in the first picture I am riding next to the guy in the white shirt on the right side of the photo!

I alluded to this in my creative industries presentation, but I felt like I didn't emphasize its importance enough. I am speaking so merrily about Youtube Tutorials. Anything you want to know how to do is available on youtube. Youtube is not only useful for comedy, politics, advertising, social networking, but it is also a living, breathing, evolving, and unique "how-to-"/ owner's manual of everything essential to your life, education, and/or hobbies. When I was having trouble loading my 8gb memory card into my Blackberry pearl the answer was just a few clicks away. I literaly searched for Blackberry memory card and found a handful of helpful instructional videos that went step by step of how to insert the memory card. The directions are short and they answer most of your questions. When it came time to make my video for my creative industries project, I simply searched, "how to make youtube videos". Fifteen minutes later I was on downloading Windows moviemaker and editing my video. These tutorials are so helpful that let's say you didn't know how to download windows moviemaker, these guys are steps ahead of you. In their video, in their video description, or in the comments section you can find the appropriate links to download the software they are teaching you to use. Which gets me to my point. I have turned to the youtube instructors once again now that I am trying to create my website. I have watched a few videos on creating websites and I recently learned how to design and import a template from Photoshop into Dreamweaver. This is useful because I hated the way websites would look using just Dreamweaver. Now instead of creating seperate button and having to organize a whole folder filled with miscellaneous images for my website, I can create the design with the buttons and banner on one document and use the knife tool to cut the various images where I will be linking them. Save the file as a html and image file and voila!!!!! PSD automatically creates the seperate images for you! I am also going to use this new found resource for making jeans and anything else I feel like I want to learn. So why go to school when you have youtube? (That is a rhetorical question, I know why).

I love Halloween. And what I really love this year is that both of my jobs are embracing it as well...in really cool ways! At UCClub they're having an employee pumpkin carving contest. I got pretty excited when I saw the memo because 1.) I freakin love halloween 2.) it brings back amazing memories because back home my brother was the most awesome pumpkin carver and 3.) it gives me a chance to see how fun and creative my new co-workers can be. Mind you this is the same job where I feel like Aladdin in the uniform and where everyone looks the same because of the little freedom we have in creating variation in our uniforms( like wearing our nametags in the exact same spot on the dopey vest...ughhhh).

Anyways I really want to participate in the contest. It would be so much fun. If there is a downside its that the contest is being judged by club members. Nothings really wrong with that its just I'm hoping they're aren't as 'wooo!! football"-Florida State-Bobby Bowden-garnet and gold oriented as they seem at events. Because if thats the case then all it takes to win is to carve Bobbys face in a pumpkin...or a seminole head..or football. And lets be real thats pretty gay.

But being honest with myself I know that I won't realistically have time to do it. My week is so crazy as it is. And Im not gonna lie I've never carved a pumpkin myself.....BUT I will for sure this Halloween, whether its in time for the contest or not!!

Hey Guys, I know the majority of us are seniors and job hunting is terrifyingly close, but if any of you are interested in going into graphic design professionally, there is a local position available. This is an actual position (not an internship) and they are looking for someone who knows all there is to know about Adobe Creative Suite Three. I am currently interning with this company and they are all wonderful. It is a small agency that is growing rapidly and is really looking creative people with fresh ideas. Below is the job description and Holla if you have any questions.

Onyx Group, a wildly creative and energetic company, is expanding! If you have some serious graphic design skills then we want to meet you!

Job Description: Junior Graphic Designer aka "Junior Doodler"

Education Requirements:

High School diploma required and some education in graphic design preferred

Proficiency with Adobe CS3

Knowledge of the printing process

Proficiency in Flash is helpful

Important Characteristics:

Deadline driven

Strong work ethic

Ability to work with clients

Ability to define and solve complex communications problems

Understanding of basic business operations

Strong organization skills

Primary Responsibilities:

Defining project parameters

Meeting with or talking to clients

Developing innovative design ideas

Collaborating with others on the team

Quality control and excellent customer service

If you think you have what it takes, please e-mail a resume and portfolio to info@onyxcreates.com!

Hey guys! Hope you had a great weekend! I really need your help! I am the Secretary of a new organization on campus, Sigma Alpha Lambda. If you don't know, it is a community service oriented honor society. We are hosting an Open Mic Night next Friday, November 7th @ Brew & Bean. It is a fundraiser for the Leon County Special Olympics.

If anyone can help me make the flyer for it or have any ideas PLEASE let me know! It is a chance to be creative and advertise yourself! You will be credited on the flyer which will be all around campus and surrounding business/stores around Brew &Bean. Thanks!!

Also, if you know of anyone that is intersted in performing let me know also!

With the presidential Election coming to an end, I thought it would be suitable to post a video clip that gives a thorough explanation on the Republican parties claim of “Small Town Values.”When I first heard of “Small Town Values’ I was confused and worried that maybe I didn’t possess them, but then I watched this video and everything made perfect sense.Don’t forget to vote!Enjoy!

Ok-So as creatives it is obvious that we should be keeping up with current trends and consumer behavior. In all reality we think that we are so in tune with trends and consumer behavior ourselves that we don't need to do any additional research. WRONG! Here is an awesome link to look over that answers the top 15 trend questions, and prefaces some things to expect in 2009. This is an awesome site that I use at work all of the time, the only downside is you have to pay for some of the really "insightful" stuff, but there is always something free to take advantage of!! So click the heading above to get trendy:-)

There are so many things in/outside of Tallahassee that I need to take advantage of before I leave. At the top of my list is St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. I’d always heard about my friends biking on the trail there, but I never considered going. On Saturday, a friend of mine invited me to come along with him, so I did. We got there really late, as the sun was about to set, so we didn’t get to stay long, but it was incredible. For starters, I saw a deer! Having lived in NY and South Florida all of my life, I’ve never come across deer! There were numerous birds that he was able to recognize simply by the sound they made. We drove all the way to the coast, but sadly, we’d missed the dolphins and sharks. Next weekend I plan on going back to see what I can before the animals start to hibernate.

The drive over to St. Marks

The sky looked like it was in flames! I have never seen a sunset like that!

An owl that my friend got excited about. He took this photo, not me.

Hahaha, I saw this image on a website today when I was researching St. Marks and...

I am taking a political communication class. Last week we had the discussion as to what each amendment meant on the ballot; from that discussion this article was pass on to me. Hope this helps!

If you're a Florida voter, prepare for a workout Nov. 4.

Already you will help decide one of the most closely watched presidential elections ever. And all 120 state House seats are up for election, plus half of the 40-seat Senate. Not to mention local elections.

But that's not all. The statewide ballot also contains nine proposed amendments to the state Constitution ranging from a ban on gay marriage to a fundamental change in how public schools are funded.

Here's a summary of those ballot items, in order of appearance on the ballot:

1. Repeal "Alien Land" Law

Would delete from the state Constitution language allowing the Legislature to regulate or prohibit property ownership by aliens ineligible for citizenship. From 1862 to 1965, more than a dozen states passed laws restricting Asian immigrants from owning property. Most states did away with the laws, but Florida has yet to do so.

2. Gay marriage ban

Would define marriage as the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife. Florida already has such a law, but backers say putting it in the Constitution protects from legal challenge.

Land held in perpetuity for conservation would be exempt from property taxes, and other conservation lands would be taxed on their current use rather than their "highest and best," or potential use.

5. Tax swap

Would reduce overall property taxes by about 25 percent by eliminating most property taxes for schools in 2011. To replace the more than $9-billion, lawmakers would have to increase the sales tax, eliminate sales tax exemptions, extend taxes to services such as lawyers or cut other state spending.

6. "Working

waterfront"

tax break

Would provide a property tax break for waterfront businesses such as marinas and boat repair shops that do not intend to convert to a more lucrative use, such as condominiums.

7. Repeal ban on funding for religious organizations

Would remove "Blaine Amendment" from the state Constitution, a century-old ban on funding for religious groups. In 2004, an appellate court cited the provision in rejecting then-Gov. Jeb Bush's school voucher program.

8. Community colleges

Would allow local option sales taxes to support community colleges if approved by local voters.

9. School funding vouchers

Orders that 65 percent of school funding go toward classroom instruction. Changes a provision of the state Constitution to allow private school vouchers.

So people that inspire me, though who are not famous (I'll save that for next week) are my mother, aunt, and sister. They may seem inconsequential to advertising, but I think they develop principles which are important for people in the advertising world to understand and harness. I think I come from a very creative family, at least from my mother's side. My father's side are all lawyers or professors :) . My mother is an interior designer for yachts. She has to walk onto a dingy, horribly decorated boat, and see it's absolute and complete potential. Then she has to alter that potential to go along with what the client wants. Usually what the clients wants is very different than what my mother wants, which is why the client needed her in the first place. When I look at her designs, and when I ask her questions, most of her inspiration comes from natures. She loves being in the garden (and hers is beautiful) and so she like fabrics and styles that bring the outside in. Anything that she can put a pretty, not tacky, tropical pattern on, she will. My aunt, though less creative in the artistic sense, has been creative enough to make her own jobs. Jobs that I didn't even knew existed, and theoretically they didn't because she created them. However, what people are willing to pay for baffles me. She was a stump grinder. Someone to come in, after you cut a tree down, and she grinds the stump so that all remains of the tree have been demolished. If this doesn't illustrate how very different my mom and aunt are I don't know what would. She draws her inspiration out of necessity. When she needs money, she looks for a need people have, that is currently not being fulfilled, and she fulfills it. My sister is a pre-K teacher. She happens to be the most successful teacher because of the creativity she brings to the classroom. Although her inspiration for the activities comes from the children in the class: what they'd like to do, what seems to keep them intrigued the longest, etc, her artistic talent is innate. Her class always has the best art projects. However, she chooses to teach in a non-traditional way, and you can see that the students learn more from it. Rather than repetition she creates rugs and toys that allow the kids to play with the subject matter. Instead of sitting counting quarters she has the kids count out beads and make maracas. She says most of her success is trial and error, sometimes an idea works, and sometimes it doesn't. She just has to adapt and work with the ones that do to succeed.

It sounds a little lame but, I am actually sad that I don't get a "I Voted" sticker since I sent in an absentee ballot. I was really looking forward to one. As this is my first presidential election where I can participate, I'm happy to see that it will be an exciting one...and that it is almost over. Seriously, I can't watch any more political ads. (On the bright side, it has given Jon Stewart amazing material to work with.)

With that, I hope all of you have or are voting. (Even if it means no sticker!)

FYI- This article explains all the Amendments in simple, unbiased language. Hopefully, it will help you make smart decisions when voting.http://tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article501958.ece

Also, this is a complete waste of time, and absurd, (yet oddly funny) video tribute to a kick-ass president. Enjoy.

I am really interested in this whole Mac v PC advertising that has been going on lately. Both TBWA/Chiat/Day and Crispin Porter & Bogusky are very respectable agencies, and I have to say I favor CP&B. A while ago, I was reading an article about Alex Bogusky's take on what they would have to do in order to save Microsoft as a brand. Most of what he said was expected, it made sense. You have to make people want to use a PC, duh. He had a lot of interesting things to say about it, but what really stuck with me was something quite unrelated to the two brands. The reporter commented on how, over the years, Bogusky's office "matured" into what was a more contemporary and "respectable" office. His reasoning for the change was that "Life conspires to beat the rebel out of you...I was at a meeting at Nike recently with a bunch of senior people, and that's just the thought that went through my head. For everyone at the table, I could see how life was trying to beat it out of us."

Well I think that sucks. Why should the rebel in us be something we have to get rid of in order to be respected. Is it not that same rebel that makes us unique, that makes us interesting? Maybe we should change the meaning of the word rebel to fit my definition (one that I believe Alex Bogusky pretty much is refering to). First of all, I don't think any one person should wholly be "rebel," that's when you become some kind of extremist, and usually that is very dangerous. I do believe that we should all indulge the little rebel inside of us every once in a while. And by that I mean daily.

For me, the little rebel is so tiny that there are a million of them. I have plenty. The rebel represents all of the things that make people look at you twice when they see you. It makes them laugh when you tell a story. It inspires you to think of something new. The little rebel is the reason we are in advertising knowing full well that the economy sucks and that entry level pay is crap regardless. The rebel in us is the reason why we come to class til 8:30 every Tuesday and are fully prepared to spend countless hours on a campaign that may or may not be chosen as the winner.

So I embrace my little rebels. And I'm calling on you all to embrace yours too. I'll even list some of mine off the top of my head.

1. I've watched Beauty and the Beast approximately 15 times in the past 4 months-- and I'm 21 years old2. I will not touch a cotton ball, end of discussion3. I watch Univision and don't understand a word of it4. I went to Armenia for a month simply because I didn't feel like seeing a boy anymore.5. Sorry Justin, I do not know who ADCD is. 6. Dedicated Michael Jackson fan.

Monday, October 27, 2008

I don't know who thought of the Coors Light Ads that feature the NFL coaches press conferences, but I wish I had thought of them. Now, this has nothing to do with my love for football, I don't get as involved with the NFL anyway. The fact is that these commercials are hilarious. These are probably the only commercials that make me laugh out loud every time I see them.

This is probably my favorite ad at the moment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAOILxXnQxs

I haven't learned how to post a video yet, it's pretty sad. But watch it, it's funny! And when you watch it you should watch a bunch of the others as well. You will laugh!

It is safe to say that I frequently peruse the internet. Most recently I came across a website that I'm surprised I haven't heard of. The site is called "Brand New." It's a little confusing because the site isn't called "BrandNew.com," it's address is http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/. Anyways, it's a site about corporate and brand identity. Here's some of the things that are on it that are pretty cool:

taco bellUPDATE: The first tacos, celebrating Jason Barlett's stolen base for Tampa in Game 1, will be available Tuesday, October 28 from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. What can you get for stopping by? A free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco. Thanks, Jason!

At least somebody is excited about the World Series, even if the TV networks are fretting about the lack of a big city audience to drive up Nielsen numbers. Taco Bell is one again offering its free taco deal for any stolen base during a game -- the series starts Wednesday at 8pm and runs, potentially, through October 30. If this year goes anything like last year, the tacos will be offered during certain hours on the day following a game where a player steals a base successfully.

If you're a baseball fan -- or watching Fox at all over the next week or so -- you'll hear a lot more about this in the coming days as the series kicks off. Last year's promotion caught some people by surprise, but you can bet Taco Bell will get as much mileage as possible out of its deal witih Major League Baseball this year.

For anyone who thinks this is small potatoes, money-wise, Forbes ran the numbers last year and found that even if only one base was stolen during each game (the average is 1.2), that still adds up to over $200 million in taco dues.

I know that many of us are stressing out about the economy and making our big step into the real world with a real job. As I was on the job hunt I came across this website that I think is genius, so I have to share it with you all. Its called One Day, One Job. They claim to be the insider’s guide to unique and exciting entry level job and career opportunities for recent college graduates. They offer daily employer profiles highlighting the best entry level jobs and job search tips that will make your life easier.

Take a minute to check it out, you never know, maybe you'll find your future employer. And they have a blog!

Two Dead in Shooting on Campus. That’s how the New York Times started my morning off. I almost skipped right over the article, I always try to avoid the really depressing stuff anyways. But the word campus caught my eye and I read on to find out that two students my age from University of Central Arkansas were dead this morning. Now geographically, I probably don’t have much in common with these students (honestly I’m not sure if I could even point Arkansas out on a map). But in the ways it counts, I have everything in common with them, and so do you. They probably woke up yesterday with that same Sunday feeling you did; stressed about an upcoming test, or reminiscing about the drunken things they did on Friday night. Maybe one of them argued with their mom about whether or not to walk at graduation. But not anymore. Now they’re just another tragedy.

It brings me back to the VTech shootings, or even (way back) to Columbine. How for a couple weeks after, everyone tries to be a bit nicer to their parents, smile at the kid you’ve never noticed in class before, yet, so quickly everyone goes back to their own selfish lives. I can’t force the world to care, to sit up and pay attention to the things in life that really matter. But I can change myself. I can remind myself when I get a parking ticket that it’s not a disaster; that two more dead IS. I can let it go when the guy in the big truck cuts me off, because somewhere, two more, one more, ten more- are dead. Their families are hurting, that deep, hard to breath hurt; their friends lives forever changed, in an instant.

So I’m going to work harder to smile at the waitress, or compliment someone I don’t know. And I’m going to look for the good in people. For the simple reason that I’m alive- and I can.

So, as I hope you are all aware Parent's Weekend has just passed us by. My parents have not yet left, as they are leaving on Monday. This weekend in celebration of their visit I have been cooking up a storm. I made cookies, brownies, cake, and fudge all from scratch. My last big adventure was to make pumpkin pie...from scratch which includes a real pie pumpkin. This has proved to be the most difficult task ever. First cutting open the pumpkins took 3 people...and power tools...then cooking them correctly and scooping them out, finding all the correct spices, roasting the pumpkin seeds. It is quite a bit of work....and in the end I don't like pumpkin pie. I'm not sure I know anyone who really does.... Well that was a lot of wasted effort. so my new quote for this class is "creativity is like making a pumpkin pie. You need to bring a lot to the table, it's much harder to do alone, you love your results...but your not quite sure why you started int he first place"

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Growing up I LOVED carving pumpkins. It was always that dorky thing my family did for our pain staking “quality time”. At least we wouldn’t fight, due to each on of use being fully armed w/ knives and scrapers :) …. Anyways… I started thinking about how I hadn’t carved a pumpkin in college, and honestly, I probably won’t… but if I were too, it’d look a little something like this…

This weekend I was fortunate enough to have three of my good friends stay at my apartment for the game. For some reason I have always had older friends so all three of this fine gals have "real life" jobs. Since I am extremely interested in the entry-level job process, I asked my friend Meghan to tell me what she does on a day-to-day basis. Well, once she explained her job she told me about this amazing story that made her embarrassed for quite a long time.

She was at work and I suppose decided to take a little break. Well, she has a Livejournal account and was posting a blog on that. Apparently her company has some sort of system on their computers where whenever the company name is typed, the company has track of it. Unfortunately for Meghan, her post was all about how she was having issues with her boyfriend, about how sometimes her job drives her nuts because it is so boring, etc. etc. The icing on the cake is that at the very end of her post, she decided to mention how she wasted an entire hour typing the blog and how she was still getting paid for it since she did it at work! Ha, bad move.

Word about the infamous blog traveled quickly among her co-workers and next thing she knows, all of them are talking about how young puppy love is so un-complicated and how it was ridiculous that she was typing her post at work. Needless to say, she still feels extremely awkward at work.

Moral of the story, if you are going to waste time at work, make sure there is NO way of them finding out about it! Haha. Poor, poor Meghan.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Hey everyone! I wanted to give you all a quick reminder to show up at Doak Campbell Stadium tomorrow and show your support for the Florida State Seminoles! Our football team is playing better then it has in recent years and still has a shot at the ACC Championship Game! The team has already called out the fans for not showing up at games and now I read in an article that Bobby Bowden has called out the fans. This is what the article said:

"So important is the game against the Hokies that FSU Coach Bobby Bowden during his weekly booster luncheon implored Seminoles supporters to fill Doak on Saturday and to make a lot of noise while they're there. None of FSU's three previous home games has been sold out.

"Spirit, spirit, spirit... we're going to need it, you know," Bowden said. "So you all get your group all wound up."

I know I find it disappointing when the stands aren't full, especially at huge games, so it must be disappointing for the team. A win against Virginia Tech would be HUGE for our team, so please show up in support of our Seminoles! The game is at 3:30, I hope I see some of you there!

So I just stumbled upon a rather incredible website. I'm quite the fan of handmade stuff and even more so if it's a bit....well different. So when I found www.etsy.com I was more than a little impressed. It's a site where people sell their stuff. Here's just a sample of things I found:

Homemade Fudge

Charlie Daniels Band Sketchbook

Buffalo Greeting Cards

A Steve McQueen Cigarette Case

Kung-Fu Fighter Tie

So if your taste are a little more...eclectic...then I'd suggest you check it out.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

For all you girls out there that are intereseted, FSU has a chapter (thanks to my roomie)of the National Organization For Women a.k.a "NOW". NOW's purpose is to take action to bring women into full participation in the mainstream of American society now. NOW promotes equal partnership with men with respect to citizenship, public service, employment, education, and family life. We also strive to advocate freedom from discrimination because of age, race, marital status, sexual orientation or parenthood. It is a great way to get involved on campus and stand up for something that you are passionate about. Spread the word and invite your friends to join! This week NOW is participating in activites for Violence Awareness week. Below is a list of the events! Our meetings are every Wednesday at 8pm in Bellamy 114, so come out and join us...everyone is welcomed!

This alternative weekend trip will be NOV 7-9at the The Nature Conservancy of Alabama! (In Perdido, Alabama).Volunteering will include fire-line construction/creation, removal of exotic plant species, habitat improvement, general park up-keep.

Important Info:>Cost: $35.00 ( a $10 deposit is due with application.)>Placement on trip is FIRST COME FIRST SERVE basis>SITE LEADERS: Diana Altieri and Hayley Wilson.>For more info, contact Weekend Trip Coordinator, Ashley Smith aes05g@fsu.edu>Applications be found at The Center for Leadership and Civic Education within the new Dunlap Success Center (across from the diner..and next to the SLB)OR on the ABC blackboard site under Documents>ApplicationsOR send an email to fsuabc@yahoo.com asking for an electronic copy.

****Applications are due October 24***

If you guys have any more questions, let me know in class or email me: dra05@fsu.edu:)

Every time I come across a movie that I consider to be spectacular the first question I ask myself is, "why the hell hasn't anyone recommended this movie to me yet?" The other night I decided to watch V for Vendetta after it was recommended to me by two different people at two different times. V is a brilliant movie that takes place in a dystopian future and battles issues of large government, personal identity, and human nature. I don't want to spoil the movie for any of you, so I won't go into a lot of detail, but I wanted to mention a quote from the movie. "Artists tell lies to tell the truth, politicians tell lies to cover it up." This thing is poetry to me. I know it is a line that has most likely been used before, but I never heard it before and when I googled it, I didn't see it referenced anywhere else.

Check out the trailer and the clip I attached. Then watch the movie and tell me what you think. Also recommend to me any movie that is equally great that I may have missed.

So this weekend I decided to go home cause I'm not going home again until Christmas Break and I really wanted to see my nieces. Anytime I go to see them its such a great time and I really feel like a kid again when I go over there. On Friday I went over there and had to put Elmo to sleep, sing music songs, puzzles, and make food in their kitchen. Then on Saturday morning we went to the beach and my nieces absoutly love the beach. The beach and going swimming in the pool are their two most favorite things to do. Usually when I go to the beach I hangout with friends, layout in the sun, get in the water only to cool off, and usually drink. Well I encourage you all to go with your family or if you have younger siblings, cousins, or nieces and nephews cause it really helps you to remember what you used to do when you were young. So while at the beach with my nieces we made sandcastles which of course they knock down the minute you get them up. The we run after the seagulls and the best part play in the mud. My niece, Kat, is completely obsessed with playing in the mud. So I sit there by the shoreline and cover her with mud. Also she loves to have her legs covered with sand. Its really funny actually. And then of course we actually go on the pier to look for people catching fish and pelicans. Then of course before we leave we go to the ice cream store where they cover themselves with chocolte ice cream. So being home this weekend really helped to bring out the inner child that Tom is always talking about. So again I urge you all to hangout with younger kids. Its really a great time and kids are also one of the most funniest things I have ever seen or heard. So here are some pictures of them at the beach.

Today was one of the very special days where radical christian guy 'graced' us with his presence. Most of you know who I'm talkin about. He's the dude with the glasses and the bible who is pretty much a walking advertisement for radical christianity. No joke. He literally has reversible signs strapped over his body for everyone to read. The one he had on for the most of his speech today carried the message:

He came with his own tag line too that he kept spewing out. It was "Turn from your sin and turn to the lord....Cuz if you dont turn..You burn!!!!" Lol it rhymed!

Radical christian guy came to advertise his religion and personal beliefs through messages intended on scaring us (the giganctic crowd) straight. BUT his message was perceived much different to his target audience than he intended. He told everyone they were going to hell. And his passion and fervor just so happened to inadvertently make my day =) The crowd kept growing. It was the best visit I've seen from radical christian guy yet! At one point he began shaking his fists in the air declaring "I AM JUDGMENTAL!!"... and he got 4 more onlookers instantly. Friends were coming over becuase their friends called them to share the message. It was great. It was so word of mouth. It got pretty heated though when he declared that "whosoever votes for Obama will go to hell". It stopped being funny to ppl..it hit too close to home. His visit caused such an uproar. Kids began fighting amongst eachother about the election. They got so loud that radical christian guy had to relocate two feet a way so he can keep delivering his powerful message. He really moved ppl even if it wasnt in the direction he planned. He drew a huge crowd, caused word of mouth, and stirred emotions in ppl. It was a great visit. It just goes to prove the power of thinking big.

So I was browsing around and came upon American Research Group, Inc.'s 10 rules for effective Advertising. I'm not sure I really believe all of them though.

. Does the ad tell a simple story, not just convey information?A good story has a beginning where a sympathetic character encounters a complicating situation, a middle where the character confronts and attempts to resolve the situation, and an end where the outcome is revealed. A good story does not interpret or explain the action in the story for the audience. Instead, a good story allows each member of the audience to interpret the story as he or she understands the action. This is why people find good stories so appealing and why they find advertising that simply conveys information so boring.2. Does the ad make the desired call to action a part of the story?A good story that is very entertaining but does not make a direct connection between the desired call to action - the purpose of the ad - and the story is just a very entertaining story. The whole point of the story in advertising is to effectively deliver the desired call to action. If the audience does not clearly understand the desired call to action after seeing the ad, then there is no point in running the ad. Contrary to popular belief, having an entertaining story and clearly delivering the desired call to action are not mutually exclusive.3. Does the ad use basic emotional appeals?Experiences that trigger our emotions are saved and consolidated in lasting memory because the emotions generated by the experiences signal our brains that the experiences are important to remember. There are eight basic, universal emotions - joy, surprise, anticipation, acceptance, fear, anger, sadness, and disgust. Successful appeals to these basic emotions consolidate stories and the desired calls to action in the lasting memories of audiences. An added bonus is that successful emotional appeals limit the number of exposures required for audiences to understand, learn, and respond to the calls to action - people may only need to see emotionally compelling scenes once and they will remember those scenes for a lifetime.4. Does the ad use easy arguments?"Jumping to conclusions" literally gave our ancestors an advantage even when the conclusions that made them jump were wrong because delaying actions to review information could have deadly consequences. Easy arguments are the conclusions people reach using inferences without a careful review of available information. Find and use easy arguments that work because it is almost impossible to succeed when working against them.5. Does the ad show, and not tell?"Seeing is believing" and "actions speak louder than words" are two common sayings that reflect a bias and preference for demonstrated behavior. This is especially true when interests may not be the same. Assume audiences are skeptical about any advertising and design advertising that shows and does not tell.6. Does the ad use symbolic language and images that relate to the senses?People prefer symbolic language and images that relate to the senses. People are far less receptive and responsive to language and images that relate to concepts. Life is experienced through the senses and using symbolic language and images that express what people feel, see, hear, smell, or taste are easier for people to understand, even when used to describe abstract concepts. The language and images used in advertising should "make sense" to the audience.7. Does the ad match what viewers see with what they hear?People expect and prefer coordinated audio and visual messages because those messages are easier to process and understand. Audio and visual messages that are out-of-sync may gain attention, but audiences find them uncomfortable.8. Does the ad stay with a scene long enough for impact?People have limited mental processing capacities. Quick cuts to different scenes require people to devote more of their limited resources to following the cuts and less resources to processing each scene. It takes people between eight and ten seconds to process and produce a lasting emotional response to a scene. Camera movement or different camera angles of the same scene can engage people through their orienting responses while providing enough time for them to process the scene.9. Does the ad let powerful video speak for itself?Again, the processing capacity of our brains is limited and words may get in the way of emotionally powerful visual images. When powerful visual images dominate - when "a picture is worth a thousand words" - be quiet and let the images do the talking.10. Does the ad use identifiable music?Music can be a rapidly identified cue for the recall of emotional responses remembered from previous advertising. Making the same music an identifiable aspect of all advertising signals the audience to pay attention for more important content.

A few of them seem like it would really depend on the product to actually be effective, but in a pinch here are some helpful hints to keep you going!

ok so this weekend I was down in Naples, home to my grandmother, my father and also home to my most recent X boyfriend. We all know that when you run into an X you want to look your hottest and be seen w/ somebody even hotter. I was hoping not to run into him, but of course there are only a few bars in Naples, since half the people use walkers and Saturday night I saw him from across the bar. At convincing myself not to run for the door since I had just paid a 10$ cover, I thought It wouldn’t be so bad, since I was dressed cute, hair done, make up, and of course tipsy. So then I think, we’ll I’ll just go over there and calmly and casually say hi (those of you who know me know that calm and casual are not in my vocab). But it all worked perfectly! I went over said Hi, gave him a quick hug and said I had to go. I was so proud of myself… I had mastered the perfect first time seeing each-other-after-a-break-up-hit-and-run, until just before I walked away he said to me, “Oh by the way, I saw your music video…” Considering he saw me wearing Chelsee’s scarf tied around my head, doing a choreographed dance, being totally serious lip syncing Miley Cyrus, with more make up then Mimi from the drew carry showI think we can all agree, in the battle of the X’s… he won. I hate YouTube.

ok so this weekend I was down in Naples, home to my grandmother, my father and also home to my most recent X boyfriend. We all know that when you run into an X you want to look your hottest and be seen w/ somebody even hotter. I was hoping not to run into him, but of course there are only a few bars in Naples, since half the people use walkers and Saturday night I saw him from across the bar. At convincing myself not to run for the door since I had just paid a 10$ cover, I thought It wouldn’t be so bad, since I was dressed cute, hair done, make up, and of course tipsy. So then I think, we’ll I’ll just go over there and calmly and casually say hi (those of you who know me know that calm and casual are not in my vocab). But it all worked perfectly! I went over said Hi, gave him a quick hug and said I had to go. I was so proud of myself… I had mastered the perfect first time seeing each-other-after-a-break-up-hit-and-run, until just before I walked away he said to me, “Oh by the way, I saw your music video…” Considering he saw me wearing Chelsee’s scarf tied around my head, doing a choreographed dance, being totally serious lip syncing Miley Cyrus, with more make up then Mimi from the drew carry showI think we can all agree, in the battle of the X’s… he won. I hate YouTube.

If you are interested in Account Planning, I highly suggest you look into the Miami Ad School. I went to the Graduate School Fair today on campus and Miami Ad School was there. They gave me all their information on their Account Planning Boot Camp. It may sound intimidating but it sounds amazing! It is a hands on 12 week program taught by real world account planners. Each week is taught by a different planner on a different topic such as "Week 4: Understanding the Idea". You are also given a main client to work on for the semester (kind of like Creative Strategy) and the creatives actually execute your strategies. At the end, you present to the client and more than likely leave with a job at a top agency. Theboot camp isn't only in Miami, they have different locations depending on the semester. In winters are in Miami, summers in Minneapolis, and the Fall is in San Francisco.

Take a look at their website if you are interested! And let me know if you want to see the packet they gave me.

In light of our struggle last week to agree on a cool creative client, I CAME ACROSS SOMETHING IN ADWEEK (I want to be very clear, I was not searching for this product). I think we can all agree Man Junk would have made an extremely...interesting client. Man Junk, an all organic male personal wash, is holding a tv commercial contest. The person who presents the best tv commercial wins a trip to a "Secret Tropical location". You can know your creative genius is going to a good cause too, since a portion of Man Junk proceeds are going to a good cause.Click on the bottle to take a look at the website.

A little background information:

Man Junk is specifically designed to fight men's bacteria build-up, unpleasant odor and even skin irritation. So what really makes our personal wash that much better?

Designed by men for men

Natural & organic ingredients

Fights sweat, odor and odor-causing bacteria

Improves overall hygiene and body health

Increases confidence and sex appeal

All of you creatives with video camera's and Man Junk ideas should holla!

I am currently taking Media Planning and in the textbook came across some important information I feel we should all be familiar with. Check out theses sites of Advertising Publications. I promise you can't go wrong! See for yourselves =).Advertising Age (http://www.adage.com/)Advertising Age is the oldest weekly trade publication of the advertising industry. It's website provides current information on all phases of advertising, media, creative, and Internet communication.

We have become pretty picky and arrogant as creatives. After much thought about a "cooler" client and how to get one I decided lets go with what we have. It's a challenge. It's a real client, a realistic client we might get in our career. Honestly do we expect McDonalds or Nike to be knocking on our door the minute we get a job? Hell no. Every product, brand, etc. started off somewhere, maybe it would be that much more awesome to be the start of something great. We probably will get put on things we don't like from time to time, but thats how it goes. So lets rock these pool peoples socks off!

Here's little widget I came across awhile ago. It's fun if you're trying to come up with an idea for just about anything you can think of. Add this one to your bookmarks, it comes in handy!http://www.tdbspecialprojects.com/

So I am finally going to be starting my marketing job with Fuse. The client is Durex Condoms! haha I am not alone however in this venture, Jordan Rich is also working on the campaign. Some of you may know him, he is a Junior advertising student. So if you see us on campus throughout the next month come say hi! We have to poster the campus and pass out promotional stuff which will be fun. I posted one of the creative ads we have to work with. They are pretty unexpected and funny! Soo...I am sharing this on the blog because I can use everyone's advice. I also have to market the brand at a variety of student events. Do you guys have any ideas as to which events I could look into attending? I figured I would hit Ad Club up because that would cover a good amount of people and recruit a few friends on gamedays outside the stadium. If any of you are a part of a student organization that you feel would be open to having Jordan and I distributing free stuff on behalf of Durex let me know and we'll be there!

I finally decided what I want to do after college! I finished my TFA application last night, I will keep you all updated as to if I get it or not. For those of you that don't know what the program is all about.. you dedicate two years to teaching in a low socioeconomic community. You get paid a normal teachers salary. The best part is that they have partnerships with all different grad schools, you have the option of going to grad school while teaching. The application process is pretty intense, I need to make it past the first step before I get too excited!

You may not know him by name, but you definitely know his voice! That’s because he SHOUTS whenever he is selling something. I thought he only sold household products you’d never actually buy, like OxiClean or KaBOOM! but now, he’s selling…health insurance???

I had the TV on while I was cleaning my room, when, suddenly, I hear someone yelling on the TV. He never fails to grab my attention. Looking up, I see that recognizable, full beard and that slicked-back hair, that blue (sometimes purple) button-down and khaki pants. It’s strange because Billy does not age at all!

Would I buy insurance from him? First, not with that kind of pushy strategy. I don’t respond to screaming. I don’t know who does. And second, I doubt his credibility.

According to wikipedia though, Billy has been super successful as a salesman.

Resumes. I hate them. I hate them with a passion. How am I supposed to explain what I do on a 1-page, bulleted and indented paper? You get basically 10 seconds to grab someone's attention, and explain, in the words of Mim's "this is why I'm hot"...so please hire me.It gets frustrating. Everyone has a different opinion on style or choice of words. I mean, don’t HR people get tired of reading all the same “action” words, like “maintains”, “manages”, “creates”, etc. Personally, I think “action” words are more like “Shazam”, “Kaboom”, or “Pow,” although those might be slightly harder to slip into Professional Experience.

While looking for resume help I ran across some resume bloopers that I thought I’d share…•Candidate included a letter from his mother.•Candidate wrote résumé as a play - Act 1, Act 2, etc.•Candidate included naked picture of himself.•“1990 - 1997: Stewardess - Royal Air Force”•Other Interests: “Playing with my two dogs (They actually belong to my wife but I love the dogs more than my wife)”.•A candidate listed her e-mail address as pornstardelight@*****.com•Hobbies: “Having a good time”•Candidate explained a gap in employment by saying it was because he was getting over the death of his cat for three months.•Languages: “Speak English and Spinach.”

See more at:http://jobmob.co.il/blog/funniest-resume-mistakes/

And if you’re actually looking for resume help…this site has simple advice on sprucing up your resume. http://www.lifeclever.com/give-your-resume-a-face-lift/

Monday, October 20, 2008

Why MySpace’s MyAds won’t be the next Google AdWordsWhen it comes to online advertising everybody wants to be the next Google, and News Corp-owned MySpace is no exception. Today the company rolled out its latest advertising platform called MyAds, designed to service “individuals and small businesses” rather than the big name brands that the social networking site’s existing ad offerings cater for.

The new self-serve system enables anybody - “from local retailers to musicians and politicians” - to create customized Cost-Per-Click (CPC) banner ads that target specific demographics and interest groups using MySpace’s HyperTargeting technology. A technology that was previously only available to the company’s largest blue-chip brand advertisers.

The end result, says MySpace, is to democratize online advertising. Or to borrow another phrase from the Web 2.0 bible, the company is attempting to monetize the Long Tail.

If that all sounds very Google-esque to you, you’re not alone.

See also: Madison Avenue to Facebook: you’ll never be the next Google

“We think the sky’s the limit on this,” Jeff Berman, president of sales and marketing at MySpace, tells AdWeek. “No one has done this kind of self-service for display as well and simply as Google has done for text quite clearly.”

The problem with the comparison, however, is that a user declaring a general interest on their social networking profile in, say, “video games” or “soccer”, isn’t nearly as monetizable as intent e.g. a search for the latest XBox 360 FIFA 09 title.

Having said that, I’ve no doubt that MySpace’s new MyAds system will help the company shift a significant amount of inventory as the self serve system removes a lot of the friction associated with banner ad campaigns and the CPC model lowers the risks for advertisers. If anything, Long Tail advertisers who currently use Google AdWords will, in the short term at least, experiment with MySpace MyAds and see what they can learn.

I know we've all been there once, and most of us never want to look back. But I need your help to get people to take the AD Research survey. The survey is about drinking, and I am asking you all to take the survey, and I know you don't have any incentive to, but I would really appreciate it if you passed it along to your friends through facebook and what not. Last year, AD Team had the most survey respondents, and we are trying to blow them out of the water with respondents from this year!!! Thank you so much even just for reading the email. I have the link to the survey and if you decide to make a facebook group/event for it. Here is some copy you can use to make it easier on you....

We are conducting an online survey project regarding alcohol use among college students. Could you please help us out by completing our survey? If you copy and paste the link below in your web browser it will take you to the questionnaire. Also, could you forward this email/request to any of your friends who are 18-24 years old and attending a college or university? Please note: THE SURVEY DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 30TH.

Creativity

“It’s like washing a pig. It’s messy, it has no rules, no clear beginning, middle or end: it’s kind of a pain in the ass, and when you’re done, you’re not sure if the pig is clean or even why you were washing a pig.” - Luke Sullivan